Iltani Resources has received the final assay results from its Orient East joint ore reserves committee (JORC) extension drilling program in north Queensland, marking another key step toward delivering a maiden resource for the silver-indium project.
The results, which include multiple high-grade intersections, were returned from reverse circulation (RC) drill holes ORR123 to ORR127 at the Orient East prospect. Highlights included 8m at 163 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent (Ag Eq) from 150m, including 3m at 302.3g/t Ag Eq, and 20m at 104.3g/t Ag Eq from 140m, with a standout 1m at 588.2g/t Ag Eq.
Iltani said the results continue to demonstrate strong continuity of mineralisation across Orient East and provide the final dataset required for an independent JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate (MRE), which is now underway with Mining One consultants.
“With the final assay results back from the Orient East JORC resource infill drilling program, we have passed these onto independent mining consultant Mining One to calculate the maiden Orient East JORC [MRE],” Iltani managing director Donald Garner said. “We expect this to be completed by mid-October.
“The maiden Orient East MRE will build on the existing Orient West MRE to enable Iltani to deliver an initial Orient Project MRE in just over two years from listing, which is a great credit to our technical team.”
Located in the Herberton region of north Queensland, the Orient Project has rapidly advanced through systematic drilling and modelling since Iltani’s 2022 listing. The company has already established a JORC resource at Orient West, with Orient East now poised to add further scale and grade to the broader system.
In parallel with the upcoming resource work, Iltani has commenced a new phase of exploration, a 10-hole RC drilling program targeting shallow versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM) anomalies across the broader Orient area.
The first hole, ORR128, is already underway at the Orient North target, with the full program expected to take two to three weeks to complete.
Garner said the VTEM campaign represents the next logical step in expanding the project footprint.
“We are confident that the VTEM anomalies are generated by sulphide mineralisation, and this will be confirmed by the drill bit,” he said. “A successful outcome will give us greater confidence to target deeper VTEM anomalies with diamond drilling and confirm mineralisation beyond the current resource areas.”
With strong assay results, a maiden resource on the horizon, and new exploration targets now being tested, Iltani continues to build momentum across its promising Orient silver–indium system.
WA Mining Conference takes place this week. Register for the event here.